Blue Sky, Sage Wind
by Labyrinth Wanderer
Summary: Jareth tricks Sarah into a life Underground. As she searches for answers, Sarah will uncover something darker than she ever bargained for. A/U, slightly OOC.
1. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary: **Jareth tricks Sarah with a poisoned peach, magic, and force. When faced with the loss of her brother, what price will Sarah pay? A/U, slightly OOC.

**Rated: T**, likely for future bad language and possible violence…and because I just like to keep my options open. Rating may change in the future.

**Author's Note: **First off, this is my first shot at Labyrinth fan fiction! I hope it's not too bad! Just keep in mind that I edit everything myself, so I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me for my dumb grammar mistakes or whatever errors you may find! Happy reading!

--Also please consider Sarah a nice, healthy 18-19 year old age, for the sake of things not getting too creepy later on.

**NEW (as of December 27th, 2009 ) **I just edited this chapter! Majorly because it was not up to par with what I am imagining for the story, not much of the action actually changed. I tried to go more into detail and whatnot! As sad as it is...I might still do it once more!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or any of its characters. **

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**Chapter One**_: The Calm Before the Storm_

The last thing Sarah remembered before succumbing to the poisoned peach was her hand desperately digging into an old elm's bark, praying somehow she could stay there, stay on course to saving Toby.

_Oh Hoggle, how could you? _

Sarah kept her eyes closed and tried to keep her breathing steady as she felt herself distinctly somewhere else. Counting her breaths, she hoped, was a way to mentally prepare herself for yet another of the Labyrinth's tricks.

_You can beat this, you can! Just breathe, in, out, in, out…_

A soft music began—startling her. Her eyes flew open and she could not help but gasp with amazement.

_I know this room; I've seen it thousand times before._

It is the room she had dreamt up for herself, filled with faceless, dancing pairs in brilliant silks and her dashing, magickal Goblin Prince. She had spent countless summer days at her park, building this room, carefully placing chandeliers and hanging ornaments. She'd spent long hours at school hidden away here, milling about, painting masks.

It was all so real now, not a made-up fantasy of a lonely, over-imaginative girl.

She felt the silky brush of chiffon against her bare arm as a woman in a simple black masked pushed roughly past her. She could hear the mournful music, music she herself had painstakingly chosen, that filled the room—supplied by a hidden orchestra. The taste of peach was still lingering in her mouth-- bitter, unnatural, and dangerous.

Above all, she could sense _him_ here in her room. His presence was tangible in the very air she breathed. But, he is not her imagined handsome Goblin Prince; ready to magick her into another beautiful dream. He was the real Goblin King, cruel and malicious, a far cry from anything she had ever dreamed. Her own personal villain, invading all she had so lovingly created.

A rush of flame-colored fabric and a fleeting glimpse of those strange, icy eyes behind it all was all it took to send her stumbling back, trying to find a way out, away from him.

_This is a trick, just another trick of the Labyrinth. I have to get out! I must save Toby before time runs out!_

He was closing in fast, his oppressive presence seeming to invade her very being. He appeared everywhere around her and yet nowhere at once, grinning, mocking her, lazily twirling his fingers in intricate patterns, casting a spell that would ensnare her.

She pushed through the crowd and found a solid, glittering wall to rest her face against, trying desperately to catch her breath, rationalize, not let him work his tricks on her. The wall was cool against her feverish skin, the sensation calmed her and she focused on warding off the Goblin King's attacks.

She sensed him in her mind, slowly picking apart what natural defenses were there.

Damn, damn, damn! How do I stop him?

She attempted throwing up mental walls, but he moved through them as if they were no more than vapor, she tried to convince herself she could beat him, but nothing she did stopped him. Again, she was gasping for air—eyes wide open, scaring horrified at the blank wall as she felt him overcome all her barriers.

"_Got you, my love," _the soft words reverberated in her head and, of their own accord, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

He pulled her worries from her mind and they began to drift from her mind, suddenly she wondered what she was so anxious about the moment before.

He was there, real, behind her. She could feel his hungry gaze on her and his presence in her mind, scorching. Sarah spun slowly, hoping to delay the inevitable anger she had grown to know too well, but instead she found something else entirely.

His imposing figure was completely still, quiet for the first time. Under the twinkling lights, he looked… almost beautiful. His harsh face softened by the shadows, his wild hair pulled back, and his clothing smooth and formal.

"Sarah," he whispered both aloud and within her mind, a command as he stretched his black gloved hand towards her.

Lost, she had no choice but to accept and move into his tempting embrace. Daringly, she looked into his mismatched eyes, attempting to return that powerful gaze with equal force, but was overwhelmed by a pressure in her head. Instead she twisted her head away from his gaze and tried to clear her foggy mind, but now all she could see were masks, spinning, confusing further her sluggish thoughts.

"_Your dreams, my love, come true_," a seductive whisper across the plains of her mind.

With those words, she lost control of her body and was overcome by his presence. The colors of the room began to swirl together into an overwhelming commodity—turning into an angry, malevolent charisma.

Sarah's head began to drop back, her eyelids fluttering, but he steadied her, pulling her too close to his body. She found her face pressed, almost lovingly against the Goblin King's chest.

Normally, the contact may have sent a tiny thrill through her body, but she was surprised by a strong, foreign spice that threatened to pull her even deeper into the woven spell—a wild, musky scent that threatened total abandon. It dared her to flee, even knowing that she would be caught in an instant. But there something underneath the enchanting scent, something darker that made her want to gag.

She pushed away slightly, gazing into his impassive face, trying to place the smell. At her look, he smirked and yanked her back hard.

"Shh, shh, relax," he whispered soothingly into her ear, ruffling her hair and raising gooseflesh against her neck. She never recollected him being gentle much less calming, his voice always seemed so arrogant…so…frustrating…

Nodding, Sarah complied and leaned in closer to him, resting her weary head against his shoulder. The soft fabric of his shirt was oddly comforting, for the first time since she had entered the room, her heart rate slowed. Finally, there was peace in this never ending puzzle of a world!

"There, that was not so difficult."

His grip on her tightened and he swung her into the center of the complicated dance that morphed from her dreamy music to something wilder, faster, unfamiliar. Her brief tranquility was gone with the jerky movement; she glimpsed a smile on his face, slightly macabre due to his sharp teeth.

"_What am I doing?"_

At her expression he chuckled briefly, deeply, charmingly. His eyes, though, remained glacial and withdrawn. Sarah turned her head away from his mysterious face and let him lead her in the intricate patterns of the dance.

_Round and round we go, like my thoughts…always following him…._

Something glimmered behind him and Sarah lifted her weary head for a moment to catch what it is. A mirror-wall! She remembered dreaming that up!

The reflection shows an enchanting Princess—exotic and beautiful, waltzing the night away with her achingly handsome Prince. The two look almost in love, pressed together the way they are.

Except there is something is wrong with the Princess that stared back, she's too pale, her eyes are dazed and unfocused, and her whole body slumped over. And the Prince's eyes are not on hers, but somewhere behind her, not quite present in the scene...

Everything came crashing back. The sudden outpour of emotion allowed Sarah to regain control of herself once more.

"Wait," she cried desperately, violently disengaging herself from him mentally and physically, "no!"

The Goblin King is not deterred; he is all smiles, moving quick to clamp his hands roughly onto her shoulders and digging into the material there.

"Sarah," he murmured sweetly through his clenched grin, "calm yourself."

"No, no! I only have an hour, oh God!"

"Sarah," he sighed sadly, but his face was pulled into a grim smile.

Sarah yanked hard and somehow managed to escape his grip. She spined around, fully intending to push through the crowd that has gathered around but something hit her on the back of the head hard, momentarily stunning her.

"Stars?" she murmured when she opened her eyes a moment later, before realizing that the twinkling is coming from the little lights across the ceiling.

Throwing her arms out, she tried to scream and call for her friends, but she could find no air. She looked up at the Goblin King was bent over her, holding her tight around the waist with one arm and the other clamped over her mouth, cutting off her oxygen. The music had stopped and the masked faces pressed closer and closer.

Her eyes darted wildly around the room, trying to find a familiar face to come to her rescue, like it has always been so far.

_This can't be the way it's going to end!_

Finally her eyes drifted almost lazily back to him, pleading, but it is too late. His impassive face showed no mercy as the edges of her vision begin to fade. Finally, there was nothing but the Goblin's King face smirking in victory.

"_But…but…it's not fair."_

"You gave me no choice…"

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**Second (Lengthy) Author's Note**: Ha, sorry. I feel a little sketchy about this chapter, but I hope some will hold on for the continuation! It was hard to try to put what seems like a mainly emotion-based chapter into words, but I tried! Oh and hopefully it shall be longer next time too! I just really wanted to get myself out there, so please forgive me my many mistakes!

I honestly feel like there are about six ways this story could go at this point. I have no idea which I will choose, but instead of agonizing over details like I usually do, I'm going to try to let the story run its course!

Please fill me in with what you like, dislike, or whatever can be improved! Keep everything constructive!

Hope you all enjoyed!

_-Labyrinth Wanderer_


	2. The Third Hour

**Authors Note:** As of December 29th, 2009--this chapter as been edited! I wasn't really happy with it before (I never really am) so I hope this is an improvement! Thanks for reading!

**Chapter Two**: The Third Hour

Cold.

That was the first sensation Sarah registered when she finally began to regain consciousness.

_Why is my room so freezing? I swear to… _

Her brain stopped mid-complaint as the events of the last day caught up with her. The thunder of her footsteps on the dusty paths of the Labyrinth, Hoggle's friendly voice guiding her, and looming everywhere was his face, Jareth's pointed smile mocking her.

Opening her eyes cautiously, she tried to register where she was now. Another trick of the Labyrinth? Another riddle to solve? She would do it in a heartbeat to save Toby. Now she just needed to get back on track.

The room seemed oddly simple, though, a large, dominating chair before her suggested perhaps a throne room, but the hall was in such disarray she found it hard to believe. All around her were dented pieces of armor, little white feathers, and various mugs that appeared to contain a disgusting brown liquid. Could she have possibly reached the castle? Sarah glanced around a smile flitted across her face, this just had to be it!

Bong.

She jerked at the sudden noise, "What the…"

Bong.

Ohmygod.

Bong.

"TOBY!"

Sarah scrambled around wildly, willing her still sleep-heavy eyes to register the time on the glowing clock to her left. Three o'clock. She was too late.

"Ohh, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, you really did not believe you could beat me, did you?"

His voice was all silk now, holding none of the malice he had briefly shown her before. Sarah couldn't speak, only stare dumbfounded at her villain holding a cooing Toby in his arms.

"You did show quite a bit of fight and we had a good time, didn't we? Shame it all comes to nothing in the end," he flashed her grin before glancing back to Toby, "He will make a stout goblin child, no doubt! Can't you just see it now?"

Sarah could hardly bring herself to look at Toby, her innocent little brother, who she had betrayed and failed in more ways then just this. Jareth was holding him high and murmuring what Sarah's assumed to be something in Goblin to him. Toby was giggling and pushing at the Goblin's face. He did not deserve a life as a goblin! There just had to be a way out, just had to!

"No, you didn't win, you couldn't have!"

Admittedly, she was grasping at straws. Her mind scrambled for any way out, but she just kept hitting walls.

"Really Sarah," he drawled, she marveled how he could make her feel so infantile with just a tone of voice, "how?"

"You, you," she couldn't think of anything else, "cheated! You poisoned me with that peach and then…and then you smothered me! And then…"

"What rule did I break in this, my dear?" After a short silence, he continued, "I do not recall any rules in this game, only an objective 'locate your brother at the goblin castle before time runs out' was it, if memory serves."

Sarah felt numb; the possibility of life without Toby finally hit her. A week ago, she would have done anything for just a little bit of peace in her house, no babysitting, waking up at ungodly hours to wailing, or being ignored. Still, even then, she would have never wished him harmed or to the fate of becoming a goblin. Now, she would give anything to bring him safely home and never, ever let him go. But Jareth was right, he had won. She had failed his test and now Toby would pay the price for her fault.

"What will I do?" she whispered, tears already clouding her vision.

"Well, my pet, nothing much else for you to do; I shall send you home and your parents shall forget Toby ever existed. You will go back to being an only child, isn't that what you wanted?"

"No, no I never wanted Toby truly gone."

"Really? I cannot fathom why, then, you wished him away," at her watery glare, he smiled, almost disdainfully, again, "well, you shall go on remembering him though, no use in erasing a useful lesson."

The thought of having to live with this horrible grief, which was already tearing her apart for the rest of her life forced her sluggish mind back into action. There must be a way out! Her mind drifted back to the countless novels she had read, searching for an answer….

"Wait, no…please, please," she took a deep breath, "take me instead."

That gave the Goblin King pause. No one, no matter how desperate, he had never come across a person who had truly wished to trade places. Sure, many had begged and pleaded emptily, but once they realized the consequences, quickly left. A look into the pitiful eyes of Sarah Williams, though, said she was the opposite of all her predecessors.

"_Oh, silly, brave, stupid girl"_

Sarah watched in apprehension as the Goblin King pursed his lips and gazed lazily toward the ceiling, perhaps measuring the worth of their souls.

"Your life for his? Is this what you truly want?" he finally spoke, his eyes, for the first time, meeting hers in earnest.

"Yes," as she said the word, she felt the full weight of its meaning_. A life here, Underground and a life full of him._ But she was not going back.

"You shall not live a life of luxury, believe me," he said, as if he could change her mind, "You will be put to work here as help, a servant of sorts. You will be expected to complete your daily tasks without complaint."

"Nothing will change my mind, I-I got him into this mess and it's only fair I pay the price for my mistake," she murmured, still holding his gaze willfully.

"Well, child, your martyrdom will not save you. I will return the boy directly and all those Aboveground will forget you ever existed," he paused to gauge her reaction to this. Seeing none, he sighed, "Pity, I was really starting to enjoy this little child."

With a single laugh, he and Toby disappeared, leaving Sarah to finally succumb to her despair.


	3. Loose Ends

**Author's Note:** A rather short update for you all! Please note that as of December 28th, I had edited the first two chapters. While nothing really extremely impacting the story changed, I do believe they are much better then before!

Happy reading!

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**Chapter Three: **_Loose Ends_

As soon as Jareth and Toby had disappeared, Sarah immediately dropped her strong façade and collapsed into tears. Her sobs wracked her body every couple of seconds and stole her breath away. She did not grieve that she took Toby's spot in this awful place, but the sudden realization of all that she was giving up in doing so.

Never again would she see her father sitting in the kitchen, drinking his coffee and staring intently at the funnies as if it were the most serious thing in the world. Never would she call up her best friend Morgan at one in the morning to get a play-by-play of her date. Never again would she sleep in her own bed, hug her dog, yell at her stepmother, or just lie in her backyard and enjoy the sunlight on her face. Too much had she taken for granted and now all of it was lost.

She mourned the Sarah that might have been. The Sarah who would have matured quickly, but never lost her sense of imagination. The Sarah who would have studied Theatre or Literature, who would have moved to a big city and lived in a cramped apartment, who would have grown old gracefully---perhaps with someone else.

That now lost the Sarah who would have been so happy in the real world after her adventure in the fantasy had turned sour. Oh, how happy she could have been!

As she lay weeping, lamenting the lost of what might have been, a tall man silently stepped into the throne room and paused at its door. Though, she heard him she could pull herself together, not yet. Even when he moved to a put a hand to her shoulder, she could not cease her mortifying sobs.

"Now, come on, calm down. It isn't so bad, my dear" he whispered soothingly, she noticed he had a slight accent but she could not place it.

No, it isn't bad…it awful, it's the worst thing that could have happened!"

The man's eyes glinted a bit at this, "Well, now, you saved your brother right?"

She blinked, "Yes…but-"

"And would you rather you two switched places?"

"No, I wish—"

"Ahh!" the man suddenly snapped, "No, wasn't wishing what got you into this mess? You think you would learn!"

The man stared at her a long time before sighing aloud, placing two fingers against her temples, and muttering under his breath. Immediately, Sarah felt a peaceful calm flow through her. It reminded of Sarah snuggling under her blankets at night and finally just being herself, the relief of the pressure of putting up with the world vanishing for a short while. Sadness replaced with tranquility, Sarah's sobs turning into something more along the lines of extremely embarrassing hiccups.

"Wha-what was that?" she asked between gasps of air, motioning toward his hand.

"Magick, the Goblin King isn't the only magickally inclined being here! Of course, now you'd best be getting used to it living around here," the man said, holding a hand out to help Sarah up.

"_More Magick? I've had about as much as I can handle…" _

"I suppose so," she whispered, still a bit distant, "Oh, I suppose I should properly introduce myself, I'm Sarah"

"Well, of course, we I know about you, you put up quite a fight did you not?"

Sarah blushed at this, "I hope so…"

"Well, I am Rowan. Come now, I must get you to the serving quarters, before His Majesty returns…"

"Oh, you are…you…work for the Goblin King?"

The man, Rowan, finally cracked a smile and laughed almost sarcastically, "Unfortunately so, head of his little cleaning brigade, the Great Rowan at your service!"

For the first time, she really looked at Rowan. Very tall, she had noticed that right away, slender and willowy. His face was open and friendly, highlighted by sparkling emerald eyes, a sprinkling of freckles, and full lips. His clothing was rather plain, just a loose white shirt and dark breeches tucked into boots but it suited him well. Could he really be a…for lack of a better word…servant to the goblins? This beautiful man?

Still, Sarah felt lighter because of Rowan's magick and could not stop herself from joking along with him.

"The Great Rowan! My, the King of the Goblin's has such high standards for his staff! Truly I should feel blessed! Honored, even!"

Rowan grinned at her antics, happy to finally see a bit of life in the poor girl's face. He had heard much about her, especially at the dinner table. She was being hailed as the Goblin King's first real human challenge. Rowan had been rooting for her all along. It was hard to believe this little slip of a girl had stood tall against Jareth, but he supposed he should have learned by now everything is not as it seemed.

"Now, let's get a move on before his Highness really does comes back, you'll learn quickly he is not to be disobeyed," Rowan gave a little wink, "Come, I'll show you around, I promise I'll try to make it as bearable as possible!"

With an exaggerated offering of his arm, Sarah could not help but smile and take it. A glimmer of hope finally appeared and, surprisingly, it was not because of magick. Sarah Williams would survive, she had to. Though she knew she would never give up trying to find a way back Aboveground, she was ready to face the challenge. She had a new life ahead of her, full of new beginnings.


	4. Adjustments

**Chapter Four: **_Adjustments_

The next weeks pass quickly for Sarah, mostly a blur of chores, faces, and Rowan. While life as a servant of the Goblin King is anything but glamorous, it wasn't the dirty Cinderella tale that she had first imagined. At first, the early rising and long hours were difficult on her, but as the weeks passed she became more accustomed to the routine.

She spent a good deal of time with Rowan and his friends which made even the worst days bearable. Sarah had quickly found the Goblin Castle's staff consisted solely of enslaved elves, captured by Jareth from the forest bordering his land. Rowan, though young, had proved the most adaptable to the Goblin command and was made head of the staff.

"Jareth, he played his cards wisely," Rowan once told Sarah over tea, "he gave us just enough to keep us content. Free evening hours, allowance of the most loyal elves to travel to the forest, and, of course, freedom to dance under the full moon. I doubt anyone of us would remain here if we were trapped inside on the full moon…"

Being the newest on the staff, Sarah was often given the simplest tasks to complete alone or paired up with Rowan or another elf. Her least favorite chore, though, was bringing Jareth his morning meal, which he almost always took in his bedroom. It was the least desirable task being as the elves had quickly learned that the Goblin King's moods were most difficult to predict in the morning.

As she had stood in the kitchen on her first day, her hair a frizzy mess from neglect and her body protecting wit the movement, she had been cornered by a few of the younger elves who had also been graced with the task of bring Jareth his food.

"My first day," whispered a friendly girl named Sable, "he was in there with some Fae girl and was angry as hell. Something about her brother or something like, he almost attacked me!"

"Ah," Sarah had managed, trembling to realize that Rowan was almost done with the Goblin King's breakfast.

"You think that's bad?" chimed the beautiful red-head Holly, "he once sneaked up on me as a lark as carried in his tea! I spilled it all over the floor, it was mortifying! He made me make him a fresh batch than watched me from his desk as I cleaned it up! I was terrified he was going to murder me right there, just as a joke!"

"Sarah," Rowan cut in as he placed silverware on the tray, "it's time for you to take this! Quick on your feet, Jareth will tear you apart if you're late!"

"Wonderful," she could not help remarking sarcastically.

She climbed up the five flights of stairs to the Goblin King's chambers, "_He would have his room at the top of the tower…_"

As she finally reached the long hall the lead to the double-door of his suite. Sarah's heart started pounding, how would she face him after all the humiliation he had caused her? That stung more than any anger or trickery he had up his sleeve to amuse himself. She, who had stood tall in front of him a mere day ago, was now reduced to serving him breakfast.

"_Wow, Sarah, you really do know how to make a mess of things."_

At the door, she steeled herself with a deep breath she would not give him the gratification of knowing how utterly embarrassed she was. She lifted her head regally and then knocked twice.

"Enter," came a raspy voice from the other end, undeniably that of the Goblin King.

Without hesitation, she placed the tray with one hand and opened the door. Keeping her eyes ahead of her, she maneuvered her way in and shut the door.

Immediately, Sarah noticed the chill in the room and barely suppressed a shiver. The room very large and had an eerily high ceiling. She quickly located a desk, spread with papers in exotic scripts and another small door which she assumed lead to a bathroom. But her eyes were quickly drawn to the large bed carved of which she could only guess was obsidian, engraved with spidery symbols that succeeded in making her shiver. The sheets were dark to match the frame and complete with smug Goblin King, lazily watching her appraisal of the room.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," his voice was deeper than she remembered, huskier.

Sarah held her breath, determined to keep her composure, "I have your breakfast, would you like it on the desk?"

Jareth chuckled darkly, "Ah, no, you'll find I always prefer to have breakfast in bed, sweeting."

"Ah," Sarah looked down to avoid his eyes which seemed to burn into her skin.

"I must say, I positively adore your change in garmenting. Those jeans were just so unflattering."

Sarah glanced down at her garb which was the traditional clothing of an elfin woman, a fitted green dress with a deep neckline, a black belt, and soft brown shoes. She recalled Rowan telling her merrily that this was much less elaborate then elfin formal wear, which would be worn for the full moon. While the clothing was insanely comfortable it was something Sarah would never have worn Aboveground and showed off her body more than she was accustomed to.

"Thank you," she muttered, hoping to dismiss the topic.

"Well," Jareth said cheerily, "bring it here!"

Sarah eyed the King of the Goblins wearily and rocked indecisively with the tray in her hand. She really didn't want to get any closer to him than this. Especially because his hair was wild from sleep and he was underdressed in a loose, open shirt. Not to mention the smirk on his face. If he had been a human man, she might have guessed he would pounce on her and drag her into his bed. But Jareth was no human.

Sighing, Sarah walked over to his bedside, eying him suspiciously but he did nothing but smile at her approach.

"Here," she said, holding out the tray.

"Thank you," he grinned, taking the tray with exaggerated slowness and brushing her hand in the process. As he did so, Sarah gazed fully into Jareth's face and what she saw there disturbed her. No longer cheery as he had been a moment before, but cold and calculating. Sarah immediately jerked back and felt her heartbeat pick up, what was he thinking of? At her reaction, the Goblin King slowly smiled, not of mirth, of something else that immediately made Sarah shiver again, his smile widened. In a moment though, the smile was gone.

"Now, you are dismissed, report to Rowan to receive your daily tasks."

After the first meeting, he had only spoken a few words of direction and hardly looked at her except for an occasional smirk. While she was often uneasy in his presence, it was a relief to be under his radar. Though she could not quite erase the memory of that first look, Sarah could just feel something was wrong just as strongly as she knew she had to follow Toby into the Labyrinth. Still, her daily chores and hours spent with the elves eased her mind a bit.

Sarah had quickly found a fun sort of friendship with Rowan and spent most of her free time with him instead of the elfish girls. He was witty, sarcastic, and loved a good time. He was often the cause of her exhaustion, begging her to have another glass of wine with him as he told her legends of his people or persuading her to play pranks of the sleeping goblins.

She had finally settled in to a weird sort of contentment. While she couldn't say she was ecstatic about her life Underground, Sarah found she had adjusted quicker than she could have ever imagined. She was calmer now that her days had settled into a comforting sort of pattern and that Jareth had managed not to harass her at every turn.

Now, as she watched Rowan talk animatedly about some great battle he had been in with a drunken goblin earlier in the day, she could not help but smile and think, with a little guilt, "_I could get used to this…" _While often she was homesick to the point she felt ill, she could not deny that somehow this life suited her. She had been accepted into the tight-knit group of elves and had belonged in a way she never had in her life Aboveground. While she knew one day things would most likely change and she would have to try, once again, to best the Goblin King, for now she was happy just where she was.

"I'm heading to bed," she said as Rowan ended his story and she finished off her tea.

"Come on Sarah, let's have another cup! I haven't told you yet what Mr. High and Mighty said today!"

"Rowan, I could really care less what _His Majesty_ has to say," she muttered as she washed out her cup, "I like him better quiet and out of my way."

"That's true," Rowan smiled, "come on, stay a little while, I don't want to be down here all by my lonesome! How will the girls keep their hands off me without my valiant protector? The moment you leave, they will all desend from their hiding and I will be lost! Admit that you would feel guilty if you found by battered body right here in the morning!"

"Yeah, all those ladies have trouble resisting you," Sarah rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, "I honestly don't think I'll survive on only four hours of sleep again, mister. I have no idea how you get up in the morning let alone function all day."

"I 'function' on brilliant tea, beautiful women, and my good looks, lovely girl!" at her look, he dropped his joking, "Okay, okay, off to bed with you. You have a good night then, Sarah." He stood up and gave her a little peck on the cheek, "And watch out for those pesky Goblin Kings!"

Sarah snorted at this, "Yes and I simply must keep a wary out for my creepy stalker elf who endeavors to keep me up until unnatural hours."

"Ah," Rowan said with a laugh, "he's a tricky one!"

"Yep," Sarah smiled, "See you in the morning, good dreams!"

"Always."

With a final wave, Sarah exited the cozy elves kitchen and travelled up the flight of stair that led to her quarters. Unfortunately her room was located a floor above the typical elf rooms for space reasons, so she was left in an abandoned part of the castle that, in all honesty, scared the hell out of her at night. She already had her small silver key in hand as she hurried up the last stairs into the darkened hallway, muttering angrily under her breath. She should have asked Rowan to take her up to her door like she usually did, he always made the shadows seem less menacing.

As she rounded the corner to her room, she ran into something solid. Her first thought was that, in her hurry, she had idiotically run into the wall, but walls didn't talk…

"Hello Sarah," even in the pitch dark, that arrogant purr was undeniable.

A pesky Goblin King. Just her luck.

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**Author's Note**: Yay for longest chapter yet! Please review with what you like, didn't like, want to see, whatever!


	5. Revealations

**Chapter Five**:_ Revelations _

"Hello Sarah."

His voice sent chills down her spine, immediately her hands clenched and she felt her little silver key biting into her palm. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could see his face more clearly--split across with a gruesome smile displaying sharpened teeth. She had no idea how to respond.

"I believe a curtsey is in order here, dear," he purred, no sentiment in the statement.

Feeling a small rush of pride, Sarah fought back, "Well I've never had to curtsey before!"

"Well you see, that was in a little less than formal situation than all of our previous meetings since your little engagement here began. Here," he gestured briefly at his appearance, typical skin tight black pants and open white shirt, "I am properly dressed, wide awake, and foremost your King. Therefore, a curtsey would be the correct reaction."

Sarah's day had been long, despite the pleasant hours spent talking with Rowan. She was tired and wanted the comfort of the small space that belonged to her, where she could curl up and have a good cry without feeling weak or dumb. Above all, she was in no mood to argue, so Sarah complied with a weak, wobbly curtsey. "_If this is common here, I suppose I should get Rowan to teach me to do this right…"_ she mused as she bowed her head to him.

"Wonderful, really Sarah, I'm really just stunned to see how well you have integrated yourself here, my little mouse. Even complying to something, let's admit, is a little degrading. My, if I have known a couple of chores would clear away that princess attitude I would have got you with a mop and broom instead of The Ball."

She knew he was trying to get a rise out of her and, in the process, embarrass her further. While she could feel the frustration blooming slowly in her chest, she tried not to show it. Sarah would try to have her own sort of victory. Besides that, she was not pessimistic; she knew she would get out somehow.

"Well, _Your Majesty_," she began slowly, dragging out her words, "I'd really love to see your face when I get out of here. While this little mouse may be obedient now, mark my words, I will find my way out of here."

At that, Jareth's face morphed into something Sarah had only seen a glimpse of on her very first day. A strange, eerie grin on his face and an odd glint in his eye that nearly made her heart stop. This was not merely a wayward Goblin King or her fairy tale villain, but something else entirely that stank of death.

"I was hoping you would say that, Sarah my love, because I'm simply dying to see you try it," in his voice there was something she had never heard before, a darkness she could not place, "because when you do, I'll make my move and you'll regret you ever took your dear brother's place in my castle."

At the mention of Toby, Sarah could not longer control her anger. Ignoring the monster Jareth had transformed into in front of her very eyes, she reached out and pushed him, childish, but somehow oddly gratifying. Before she could so much as step back, he was on her-- his fingers grasping her upper arms in such fury that made Sarah gasp. He promptly slammed her hard into the wall just beside her bedroom door, banging her head and hitting her body roughly against the stones there.

"Now you listen to me, lovely Sarah," she couldn't see his face again, but his breathing was scattered and deep, "you'll learn I love to play games, I really do. There is also a time and place for these little endeavors and now is not it. In time though, you'll know…"

His hands were cutting off circulation in her arms and her head was throbbing from the impact. She could not control letting out a hiss of pain as his fingernails dug into her skin. At that Jareth paused and slowly released pressure on her arms, but compensated by moving closer. While they were not quite touching, Sarah could feel his body heat against her and she pressed herself against the wall trying to escape the oppressive shadow. She could hear his breathing had leveled out, though hers was still frenzied and gasping.

"Wha-what do you mean?" she whispered, resting her face against the wall to prevent seeing the monster in front of her.

A dark chuckle then suddenly Jareth lashed out again, a hand gripping Sarah's face, turning it and bringing it close to his. It took her a moment, but she registered that his fingers were so cold against her skin that they were burning her.

"Oh, ow, please!" she mumbled against his hand, pulling hard back in attempt to escape.

"My favorite kind of game, sweet," he purred still gripping her face as he leaned in, "You'll know soon enough, but I find the intrigue is just so much more entertaining. Good night, lovely girl, I hope you have _pleasant_ dreams."

With that, he released her face and allowed her to crumple to the ground.

"And don't worry, Sarah, I promise that the _suspense_ won't last too long."

With a final chuckle, he seemed to disappear into thin air, leaving Sarah still gasping for breath on the floor—hands to her face in horror. What had stumbled upon here?

After a few minutes of staring into the blackness, half expecting Jareth to reappear, Sarah shakily stood up. She leaned against the wall, still out of breath and shut her eyes for a brief moment. Whatever was going between her and the Goblin King, it was not as simple as she had expected.

She managed to still her quaking hand enough to get the little silver key in the door and burst into her room, quickly shutting the door behind her. She looked briefly around the room that had brought her so much comfort before. It was very small, it only contained a bed, a little nightstand, and a chest for her clothing—which was very limited. Also, another door in the room led to a cramped washroom that Sarah had to carefully maneuver to avoid banging various body parts against cold porcelain.

Still, the closeness of the quarters had made Sarah feel safe, like nothing could sneak up on her. All of that was different now. Slowly, she walked around the room—checking behind the doors and under the bed before she could breathe properly. After closer inspection she sunk down on the lip of the bath, head in hands.

Something was terribly wrong here. Perhaps it was juvenile to expect, but Sarah had expected that the rules of the Labyrinth would somehow apply to the castle as well. She would face many dangers, but she would always come out unharmed and victorious. Well, sort of victorious. But, little had she known, the rules had changed drastically and she was now stuck in the middle of some kind of nightmare.

"Jareth," she could not help saying his name aloud as her thoughts finally turned to him. Gone forever was any image of her handsome prince, but also gone was the Goblin King she had known in the Labyrinth. Replaced by something truly villainous, not just of the storybook nature. He did have power over her and he did wish to use it.

But what did he want? There had to be some kind of sick motive to his thinking that was unclear as of now. Sarah clawed through her memory for some kind of answer, but none made sense. She had first assumed he just wanted the gratification of seeing her work as his slave, but now he seemed to genuinely want her to suffer. Again, why?

After a time, Sarah stood from the bath as the exhaustion from the day hit her once again. As she passed her mirror, she could not help gasping her bruise. Little red marks shone brightly against her skin, clear fingerprints on her upper arm and face. By the next day, she would have bruises. Sarah paused for a moment and gently ran her fingers over the marks, feeling surprising stings of pain as she touched them. She would have no good explanation the next day for Rowan; perhaps she would just tell him…then again, she didn't want to see him in any danger. Especially from the side of the Goblin King she doubted Rowan knew.

Sighing, Sarah hurriedly prepared for bed, avoiding the mirror for the rest of the night. Then, just before she slipped into bed, she did something she had never done once before in her weeks at the Goblin Castle. She locked her door.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hope everyone enjoyed! This was a very difficult chapter for me to write, obviously I've finally decided what direction this story is going in. I've actually very pleased with what I have so far (as an author, I'm never quite pleased with my words, but I'm happy with my story). Thank you all so much for reading and sticking with it, I really appriciate it.

Much love!


	6. The First Lesson

**Chapter Six**: _The First Lesson_

Sarah woke in a cold sweat, bloody, violent images escaping from her mind before she could really grasp them. She could not quite recall exactly what she dreamt, but she did not wish to. Without another thought, she dressed quickly and glanced at herself in the mirror. The bruising around her neck wasn't noticeable, unless one of was looking for them. Her dress did nothing to hide them so the best she could do was just hope no one saw.

Before she left, she checked multiple times to make sure she had everything she would need for her day. She wouldn't dare make another trip to the abandoned hallway alone. Slowly opening the door, she waited for a moment before bolting down the stairs. Once she reached the elves corridors, her pulse calmed and she could breathe freely once more.

"Hey, Sarah!"

Rowan's smiling face pushed toward her, slipping through groups of elves effortlessly. Sarah felt a surprising wave of comfort from that friendly, familiar face that made her start momentarily. This hadn't happened before.

"Hello, Rowan," she whispered a little self-consciously when as he pulled beside her, her voice rasped slightly from the troubled sleep.

"Whoa there, rough night?" he winked, but his face sobered when he took in her weak smile, his tone shifting to serious concern, "Sarah, what happened?"

Her eyes glanced around the hall; too many ears here, the elves were notoriously gossipy in the kitchens.

"Later," she promised, shifting closer to him.

"Yes, no doubt," his voice was serious, determined.

He moved closer, so that they walked the same pace, shoulder to shoulder, then he slipped his hand into hers. She realized that most would not be able to see the gesture, instead only see them walking closely which would not be strange considering their friendship.

The warm touch of Rowan's hand surprised Sarah and new, strange feelings overtook her. She had never considered this, a relationship with Rowan, especially with recent events. She always imagined her stay Underground would be short term, somehow she would find a way back. She had treasured Rowan's friendship above everything else in this hard time, but never imagined him something more…something romantic. Now, though, she looked at him differently, if hesitantly. He was gorgeous, hilarious, strong, determined, and so much more…everything she could imagine desiring in a man.

As they strode into the kitchen, Rowan discreetly detangled their hands and hurried toward the band of cooks preparing the Goblin King's meal. Sarah paused and watched him for a moment longer, his ease with others and easy laugh….no, she would not think about this now. She was going to have to face Jareth once again; she had been mentally preparing herself for this since last night. She could only hope that he would not be as threatening this time around.

Sarah did her daily rituals without issues, preparing the platter, checking the tea, and generally helping around the kitchen while waiting for the meal to be ready. She could not help but get more and more anxious as the cooks dished up the meal. How could she face him?

But there wasn't much time for contemplation because, as usual, breakfast was ready for the Goblin King promptly—as he liked. She considered taking her time, dawdling on the stairs, but feared incurring his wrath. So, she forced herself to walk at a steady pace until she reached the large oak door. Steeling herself, she knocked once and entered.

"Hello, Sarah," his voice purred from the bed.

Sarah could not resist looking over, her breath caught—he was not alone. She had heard of the Goblin King's exotic taste in women and the stories of the other elf girl's experiences, but she had never seen anyone in the room besides Jareth.

The woman sat up lazily, propping herself up on one elbow and took Sarah in with sleepy eyes. She was beautiful, no denying that. Her skin was a lovely porcelain tone, her face was delicate punctuated by strangely dark blue eyes, and her wild curly brown hair was rumpled from what looked like a busy night.

"Who is this?" her voice was lyrical with an exotic lilt that Sarah could not place, she assumed she was a creature of this world…

"Sarah, a maid and constant annoyance," Jareth yawned wolfishly, "but I believe she will prove interesting."

"Oh," the woman looked Sarah up and down once more, "she doesn't look like much trouble."

"Never judge one by appearance, dear Rainah, I promise you she can be quite….off-putting,"

Jareth grinned at Sarah as if this was some hilarious joke that they shared. Sarah returned his glance steadily, she didn't really know what to make of the situation, but she seemed safe in the presence of Rainah, so she moved to give Jareth the tray.

"Ah, no I won't be having breakfast quite yet. I believe we shall be otherwise occupied," the Goblin King turned to his guest, who returned his smile.

"Well, before we…continue, I'm going to freshen up."

And with that, Rainah stood-clothed in only a sheet, stretched luxuriously, and padded through a door Sarah could only assume lead to a sort of bath room.

Slowing turning away, Sarah tried to make a subtle break for the door—hoping Jareth would be too preoccupied with his guest to much care for taunting her. Unluckily, though, he wasn't quite that satisfied.

"Oh, wait, dear Sarah. Put that down and come here."

Sarah squeezed her eyes tight for a moment and calmed herself, "_you will be fine, you will be fine_." She placed the silver tray down on a small table and moved near the bedside, not within reach but close enough to realize that the Goblin King, thankfully, was wearing deep brown breeches. Still, her face grew hot under his scrutiny.

"So little, demure Sarah. What do you think of my guest?" at her silence, her persisted, "oh, please, do speak your mind. I'm quite anxious to hear your opinions!" At that, the Goblin King reclined, hands behind his mussed hair.

"She is quite beautiful," Sarah whispered, not daring to say more—this playful Jareth was not the fearsome King she had seen last night. She would not fall for his ploy again and say something that would give him reason to hurt her.

"She is. A Faerie princess, a piece of work. Not likely to actually marry a prince or king, much too grating and tedious for all of that, but great fun in the bedroom. I think she actually believes I am a suitor, but she will learn…"

Sarah felt a knot of revulsion in her stomach, she hadn't particularly liked the woman but no one deserved this kind of cruel treatment, not even the most arrogant Faerie princess.

"That's not right," Sarah murmured, unable to conjure enough courage to say more.

The Goblin King laughed openly, "Of course it isn't 'right', dear one, but it is oh so much fun!"

Rainah strolled into the bedroom again, her hair tame and the sheet tied snuggly around her body. She glanced at Sarah again through slitted eyes, almost as if she was competition. Even with the nasty look, Sarah couldn't control herself. Though she may regret it soon, she had to say something.

"He's using you, he doesn't have any interest in you," Sarah said, standing straight and speaking confidently for the first time for the day, "you'd best leave while you can."

Riana started, her eyes losing the lazy gaze they had maintained even since Sarah had laid eyes on her. Her mouth fell open for a moment and she looked between Sarah and the Goblin King, apparently trying to weigh Sarah's words. After a moment, she straightened and assumed a near regal pose.

"Thank you, Goblin King, for your hospitality, but I do believe I shall be taking my leave."

With that, she grabbed a small green bag from the foot of the bed and left the room with an amount of dignity surprising for a woman garbed only in a bedsheet.

Sarah watched her go, keeping her back to Jareth. She couldn't bear to look at him, afraid she would see the monster she had become acquainted with recently.

"I was rather hoping you would pull a stunt like that, dear one," his voice was a terrifying purr, she could hear him moving behind her but she couldn't bring herself to turn, "the provocation is all the fun."

Suddenly, she was grabbed around the waist and thrown roughly to the bed; she felt a burning in her arm as she became tangled in the sheets. Jareth stood at the edge of the bed, grinning down at her with pointed teeth. That eerie gleam was seeping into his eyes; she could not control her terror any longer, the fear of being alone once more with this monster.

"No, s-stop!" she shrieked, trying to free herself of the sheets.

"Not quite yet, lovely, I believe you have a little of a lesson to learn. Since I can't seem to convince you to work solely under my power, I'm so _sorry_ to have to resort to force."

In a flash he crouched over her, malicious grin on his face. She opened her mouth to scream, hopefully someone would hear her and help her, but he caught her intent and quickly placed a finger on her throat, stealing her voice.

"Oh, no Sarah, we don't want anyone interrupting us," his voice was deep and throaty.

She found herself unable to move, whether from him or from her own terror she could not tell. He ran his hands down her side roughly, pulling at the fabric of her gown as he went. His paused at her ribcage and grinned.

"I suppose I don't want to start out too _difficult _for you."

Then he squeezed his fingers deep into her flesh and pushed hard. Sarah's world went black and gasped voicelessly as she fell unconscious, "_Oh Jesus, I'm going to die."_

Too quickly, unnaturally she was snapped back to reality with Jareth's harsh face pressed near hers, "Sorry, lovely, can't escape me so easily."

Sarah's eyes rolled back and her mouth gaped as she felt the excruciating pain in her midsection, he had crushed her lower ribs, "_There is no way I can survive this_." Already she could feel the damage inside, she must have massive internal bleeding—her ribs felt as if they had caved in upon themselves and destroyed the vital organs they should have been protecting.

He seemed to read the fear in her eyes, "oh, never fear my love, you shall live, but this shall last just a little longer, I think," he gazed at her, eyes hooded, and rested his hands on her sides once more "do you feel_ this_, love?" he rocked her violently, sending waves of pain that threatened to shut her mind down again.

"I shall return your voice, but don't waste your time screaming for help, dear one, I assure you it is of no use, none can hear you," he touched a finger to her throat and she could not controlled the shriek which escaped her, he closed his eyes and breathed it in, "ah, so much better."

He let her lay they for a moment, she tried to fight off the waves of pain but could do nothing but breath hard and squeeze her eyes shut and hope for mercy soon.

"Oh, precious thing, I don't think you can take much more," his voice was sickeningly sweet and that made Sarah's eyes open. This couldn't be the worst he could do.

She hated him with all of her soul. She would not give in to his cruel games so easily. Pain is a hard master, but could be overcome. Right now, on the brink of death, she had nothing to fear.

"No," though her voice shook through the pain, she was fueled by her new conviction, "I believe, Goblin King, you could do so much better."

For a moment, he simply stared at her, but he slowly grinned, "Perfect."

Without a moment's hesitation, he lifted her small body and hurled it against the wall nearest the bed. Sarah felt her nose crushed and skull crack with impact in sharp agony, but then she felt no more. She was whole again. She sat up hesitantly, no pain—blood was sticky on her face from her previously broken nose, but no more seemed to be flowing. Jareth had healed her.

She looked up to meet his strange gaze, he was sprawled across his bed smirking at her, "You know, my love, the best quality in a human is how easily they are broken and repaired. So much endurance…"

The threat was there, Sarah didn't have the heart to meet it at this time. That battle was for another time. She was afraid of him, she would be an idiot if she wasn't, but Jareth wasn't a man who could be beaten by sheer confidence and grit. No, everything would have to be expertly timed, a feat Sarah wasn't sure she would be up to, but for now, she had to wait.

"Run along, clean yourself up and go about your day," with that he turned, clearly ending the conversation.

Sarah stood and looked down at herself—there was some bruising, but there was no pain. Only the major injuries seemed to have left their mark on her skin, she could only hope her face was unmarked.

She stood and made her way quickly to the door. She would need a good hour in her room before she was prepared for her day and to think of some sort of explanation.

"Sarah," his voice stopped her in her thoughts, she couldn't bring herself to turn back, "that was no where_ near_ the worst I could do."

With a final fortifying breath, Sarah pushed forward, never looking back.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry for the wait! Thanks for being so patient! In all honesty, this chapter was very difficult to write--I'm not quite satisfied with it, I will likely edit it a few more times, but I wanted to get it out there before I lose my creative juices!**

**Thanks for reading!**


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